WHAT IS THE BEST TRAIL CAMERA
11-21-2002, 11:02 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: BARDSTOWN KENTUCKY USA
Posts: 37
WHAT IS THE BEST TRAIL CAMERA
I am looking for a good camera that will last several years. I've heard some go through batteries like crazy. Should I spend the extra for a digital. I've heard that in the near future there will be a camera out that you can view pictures from your pc at home while not distubing area to go in to your camera.
Thanks for info
HUNT HARD
Thanks for info
HUNT HARD
11-22-2002, 06:22 AM
#2
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Abilene TX USA
Posts: 115
RE: WHAT IS THE BEST TRAIL CAMERA
I have 2 non-typical cameras, I've been real pleased with them. The oldest one is 5 years old and still working good. They do use up batteries pretty fast, seems like a little worse in the summer.
I've looked into the digital and can't seem to get past the cost of the whole set up. (camera and viewer)
I've seen the other camera your talking about, it's incredible. But I can think of alot of things I could spend $10,000 on. These are set up with a satellite link so I don't know that the cost will come down on them for awhile.
Good luck on your search. I can promise you'll enjoy whichever camera you get, and it'll surprise you on what moves in the night!!!
J. Shoot
Searching
I've looked into the digital and can't seem to get past the cost of the whole set up. (camera and viewer)
I've seen the other camera your talking about, it's incredible. But I can think of alot of things I could spend $10,000 on. These are set up with a satellite link so I don't know that the cost will come down on them for awhile.
Good luck on your search. I can promise you'll enjoy whichever camera you get, and it'll surprise you on what moves in the night!!!
J. Shoot
Searching
11-22-2002, 09:03 AM
#3
Fork Horn
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Carbondale IL USA
Posts: 194
RE: WHAT IS THE BEST TRAIL CAMERA
I Have one from Hag's House of Homebrew and it works great. The pics for example were on the "S. IL Game Cam pics". Hags is going to start selling them after Jan. 1st along with Digital ones. Let me just say that I spent half of what you can geta non-typical one for.... Just a option for you. I am going to get a digital one from Hag's page as soon as they come out.
The cam is set up with Passive-infared sensor, completely sealed and waterproof, LCD event timer, 4 dip switch delay on shutter from 30 sec to 8 min in combination, Mossy Oak outer covering, and great battery life.
The cam is set up with Passive-infared sensor, completely sealed and waterproof, LCD event timer, 4 dip switch delay on shutter from 30 sec to 8 min in combination, Mossy Oak outer covering, and great battery life.
11-22-2002, 12:58 PM
#5
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Denison IA USA
Posts: 11
RE: WHAT IS THE BEST TRAIL CAMERA
I own and sell TrailMAC Digital cameras. I've had my digital out about 1.5 months and have taken about 200 pictures with it so far. I'm still on my first set of batteries. With a 128 MB memory card, it will hold around 250 pictures at 1600 X 1200 and 90 or so at 1600 X 1208. It comes with a 2 megapixel Olympus D 380 camera that can also shoot 10 second Quicktime movie clips.
I like it better than the other digital cams out there for a couple of reasons. The Game-Vu is popular but the images are not very good, only 320 X 240. The highlander is better at 640 X 480, but those still don't look that great printed out. The CamTrakker has an excellent camera, but it should for $1200. While I don't print that many pictures out (I save them to a CD) it is nice to have the option. There are only a couple of negatives that I have found, one is that they are fairly expensive (TrailMAC MSRP is $715) compared to film cams, and due to the technology the cameras take 2 or 3 seconds to warm up for that first picture. If a deer runs by it will sometimes take a picture after the deer is gone.
Not having any film to develop will pay for the extra expense of digital in a hurry if you use it a lot. Not to mention that the pictures are field viewable so you can tell right away if it is in the right spot or not. It also makes it nice for you to get the pictures right while setting it up. Take a few practice shots, delete them off and your are ready to go. I think digital is the way to go and with the high demand for them, I don't think I am alone.
I like it better than the other digital cams out there for a couple of reasons. The Game-Vu is popular but the images are not very good, only 320 X 240. The highlander is better at 640 X 480, but those still don't look that great printed out. The CamTrakker has an excellent camera, but it should for $1200. While I don't print that many pictures out (I save them to a CD) it is nice to have the option. There are only a couple of negatives that I have found, one is that they are fairly expensive (TrailMAC MSRP is $715) compared to film cams, and due to the technology the cameras take 2 or 3 seconds to warm up for that first picture. If a deer runs by it will sometimes take a picture after the deer is gone.
Not having any film to develop will pay for the extra expense of digital in a hurry if you use it a lot. Not to mention that the pictures are field viewable so you can tell right away if it is in the right spot or not. It also makes it nice for you to get the pictures right while setting it up. Take a few practice shots, delete them off and your are ready to go. I think digital is the way to go and with the high demand for them, I don't think I am alone.
11-22-2002, 02:39 PM
#7
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: loretto kentucky USA
Posts: 34
RE: WHAT IS THE BEST TRAIL CAMERA
smallmunster, you have your figures wrong on the CAMTRAKKER i think. the price on them is around $400.00. maybe your thinking of the VIDEO CAMTRAKKER. i think they are around $1200 or so dollars.
11-22-2002, 04:10 PM
#8
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Denison IA USA
Posts: 11
RE: WHAT IS THE BEST TRAIL CAMERA
I don't know anything about a video camtrakker, the Digital camtrakker is $1175 with shipping= about $1200. You can look at http://www.camtrakker.com/shopping/S...p?order=198635 it is right there.
The standard film camtrakker is around $400.
The standard film camtrakker is around $400.
11-22-2002, 04:18 PM
#9
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: East Texas
Posts: 1,382
RE: WHAT IS THE BEST TRAIL CAMERA
Mugsy, Smallmunster is right. The digital Camtrakker is $1,175, they don't have a video system yet. Here is the link to their digital unit http://www.camtrakker.com/digital.asp
I had a Moultrie game camera for a couple yrs and it wasn't very good. I had alot of trouble with it and sent it back several times. None of the mass marketed "digitals" you see in Cabelas, Basspro, etc are really digital cameras. Instead most are infrared cameras and the quaility is worse than gas station surveilance video. I know several guys who have the Game-Vu and they say they will have to use it as a trotline weight.lol I haven't heard much better from the Highlander camera.
If you want digital, either buy one from someone like Hags Hombrew or some of the other guys who commerically build them over at Jesse's Hunting Page. OR better yet build your own. Since September I've build 5 digital hombrew setups for me and my buddies. They are awesome!! The camera is an Olympus D-370 and for a low end camera it takes great pictures, more than good enough for a trail camera. Go check out my pictures at my website. There are also some pictures of my camera there. Digitals will more than pay for themselves. I've gotten well over 1,000 pictures since September and that would have cost me almost $300 in developing alone, that doesn't take into account film and the time it takes to drive to the 1hr photo and wait.
Good luck, if you have any questions feel free to email me.
www.applebyoutdoors.com
--------------------------------------------
Hunting the Piney Woods of Deep East Texas.
I had a Moultrie game camera for a couple yrs and it wasn't very good. I had alot of trouble with it and sent it back several times. None of the mass marketed "digitals" you see in Cabelas, Basspro, etc are really digital cameras. Instead most are infrared cameras and the quaility is worse than gas station surveilance video. I know several guys who have the Game-Vu and they say they will have to use it as a trotline weight.lol I haven't heard much better from the Highlander camera.
If you want digital, either buy one from someone like Hags Hombrew or some of the other guys who commerically build them over at Jesse's Hunting Page. OR better yet build your own. Since September I've build 5 digital hombrew setups for me and my buddies. They are awesome!! The camera is an Olympus D-370 and for a low end camera it takes great pictures, more than good enough for a trail camera. Go check out my pictures at my website. There are also some pictures of my camera there. Digitals will more than pay for themselves. I've gotten well over 1,000 pictures since September and that would have cost me almost $300 in developing alone, that doesn't take into account film and the time it takes to drive to the 1hr photo and wait.
Good luck, if you have any questions feel free to email me.
www.applebyoutdoors.com
--------------------------------------------
Hunting the Piney Woods of Deep East Texas.
11-22-2002, 08:31 PM
#10
Fork Horn
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: USA
Posts: 126
RE: WHAT IS THE BEST TRAIL CAMERA
How much do one of these homeade cameras cost?? I would like to make one but don't have a clue on any stuff like that. I'm just wondering if somebody would like to build one for me. Thanks for the help.